I told myself it was probably the result of seeing the man half naked. It had been a while since I’d been that close to a hot-blooded male. I’d obviously breathed in too much testosterone. Besides, there were bound to be weird encounters between him and me. While theoretically Fin had been invited to stay, thanks to my memory loss in practice he’d turned up out of the blue. We were two strangers thrown together under one roof. I’d had no time to mentally prepare.
I sighed. “Or I could just fancy the man?” I said, yet another complication I could do without, especially when for all I knew he could have a wife and three kids.
By the time I pulled onto the car park, a huge square in the centre of town that served as a marketplace every Tuesday, I was determined to tell Annie that Fin couldn’t stay. That was if I got the chance, I realised. Seeing the number of people already milling about, it was clear I’d be lucky if I got a five-minute break, never mind the opportunity to sort out my home life. Gathering myself for a busy day ahead, I switched off the engine, grabbed my bag and disembarked, being careful not to slip as I made my way over to the shop entrance.
Once inside, I glanced around in search of my friend among the customers and fellow employees dotted about the place, but Annie was nowhere to be seen. Heading straight for the staffroom to get rid of my stuff, I was surprised to find she wasn’t there either and I began to feel anxious. Was I stuck with Fin?
I shed my coat and scarf and hung them both up, wondering if I should be worried about Annie too. Putting my bag in my locker, I frowned. It wasn’t like her to be running late; she was the most punctual individual I knew. And unlike some, Annie was never sick, lame or lazy. I looked at the wall clock and hoping everything was all right, decided to sneak in a quick call to check on her while I had the chance.
“There you are, Holly,” Ruth, the shop manager said, popping her head into the room just as I was reopening my locker ready to phone Annie. “Will you be long? It’s getting busy out here.”
My shoulders slumped. “Just putting my stuff away,” I replied. Company rules dictated no mobile phones during work hours and with less than a minute before my shift started the last thing I wanted to do was to admit breaching policy. “All done,” I said, securing my things away for the second time. Telling myself that Annie was fine, she was simply running a bit behind and that I could talk to her later, I followed Ruth back out onto the shop floor.
“Let the fun commence,” she said, leaving me to deal with my first customer.
Everyone and their dog seemed to cross the threshold that morning, eagerly scanning the shelves, Christmas present lists at the ready. There was a buzz in the air as customers came and went. Tills rang to the sound of Christmas songs playing in the background and shelves were restocked as quickly as they were emptied. While not every member of staff appreciated days like that, I loved them. Even more so when dealing with customers who, in searching for a gift for a valued friend or relative, didn’t know where to start. Sharing recommendations and talking all things literary with book buyers was the best part of the job and whatever the genre, I could have waxed lyrical all day long when it came to giving advice. As far as I was concerned being a bookseller didn’t just pay the household bills, spreading a love of books was a vocation. Not quite the same as having my own titles on the shelves but spending my days amongst other literary greats came a close second.
“Looks like we’re on the same lunch break,” a familiar voice said in my ear.
In the middle of tidying up my section, I turned to find Annie, tapping on her wrist, as if reminding me of the time. “When did you get here?” I asked, relieved to see her. Having been non-stop busy since the start of my shift, I hadn’t even noticed her come in, yet there she was, wrapped up in her coat ready to leave again. The morning had clearly flown by.
She held my coat and scarf out to me. “I thought we could go across the road for a bite. Enjoy a change of scenery for a while. My treat.”
Despite her smile, I could see Annie didn’t feel as upbeat as she hoped to portray. Her tone sounded a little too bright, as if belying the fact that what she really wanted to do was to let out all her woes. I smiled back with a less than ingenuous smile of my own, hoping the conversation I needed to have with her about getting rid of Fin wasn’t going to be one problem too many for Annie to handle. But I wouldn’t know that until we sat down and talked.
I pictured breaking the news in our stark soulless staffroom, cup of coffee in one hand, a floppy sandwich in the other. That versus the conviviality of the café, with its cheery customers, welcoming staff, not to mention its mouth-watering menu. “Over the road it is,” I said.
9
Leaving the shop behind, Annie and I scuttled passed the giant Christmas tree that dominated the town square and shops festooned in twinkly lights and snowflake-stencilled windows. The temperature was as cold as it had been when I’d left for work and our breath fogged in front of our faces. Like youngsters, we linked arms, holding on to each other as we walked to prevent either of us slipping on the icy ground. The way things had turned out of late it would have been just our luck if one of us skidded and fell, breaking a leg in time for Christmas.
“I love this place,” I said, bringing Annie to a halt outside the bakery-come-café and, taking in all the goodies on display, I sighed at the deliciousness before me. If I didn’t work in the bookshop, it was safe to say working there would have been my next choice of employment. My eyes went from the snowball madeleines made with butter cake rolled in jam and coconut, to the whisky crumble mince pies, adorned with star shaped lids and dusted in icing sugar. It was all I could do to keep my tongue off the glass. I swooned over the cranberry and ginger tiffin, covered in sweet white chocolate, and the spiced biscuits, shaped like stockings, reindeer, and angels, all of them intricately decorated. It was a visual feast and I couldn’t decide if the place was heaven or hell for a food lover like me.
“You wouldn’t get any of this lot in the Caribbean,” Annie replied.
I scoffed. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better, is it?”
Annie laughed. “Every cloud…” She tugged at my arm and dragged me towards the entrance. “You go and sit down,” she said, as we stepped inside.
“But I don’t know what I want yet.”
“I’ll surprise you.”
“I won’t argue with that,” I said, happy to do as I was told. With so much choice, it would have only taken me ages to decide what to have. Plus my feet ached from a busy morning and with an afternoon of work still to go, they needed all the respite they could get. I took off my coat and scarf and headed for a window table, although when I got there, I couldn’t see the street beyond as the glass was steamed up. Taking a seat, I drew a smiley face in the condensation, before turning my attention to fellow diners.
Christmas carols played in the background and people chatted over festive spiced coffees, and clove-infused teas. They tucked into savoury puff pastries, stollen, and chocolate-dipped honeycomb. My belly rumbled at the assortment of snacks and treats being eaten and I looked over at the counter, pleased to see Annie at the front of the queue.
Annie turned and approached with a tray of delights – two mugs of hot chocolate, each topped with a mountain of cream and marshmallows, and two huge sticky muffins.